All posts by hfg

As countries in the Northern Hemisphere prepare for the cold, we have received this update from ICMA members the Association for Seafarers’ Mission in Yokohama.

One of the smaller ICMA organisations, the Association is run by Rev Lamberto Valino, assisted by his wife Angelita. Both originally from the Philippines, they have spent several years offering the hand of friendship to visiting seafarers in the ports around Yokohama.

Rev Valino writes:

“The lack of seafarers’ centre to operate did not stop us from pursuing a better and more interesting goal to serve the seafarers. We make them feel they have family in a foreign land like Japan. We help them feel Yokohama is a place where they can meet their long lost brothers and sister.Continue reading Winter in Yokohama→

ICMA member the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey moves into its renovated premises in Port Newark

The new centre is in the heart of the port. In addition to offering hospitality and communications services to seafarers, the centre is one of the only parts of the port accessible to the public. SCI President and Executive Director, Rev David Rider, sees the potential for the centre to act as a bridge. He says,

“we’re putting a mixture of people face-to-face and reminding each other of the valuable connections on which we depend”.

The SCI’s Center for Seafarers’ Rights will also be moving to the new center as will several other SCI programmes. For further information, follow the link below to the SCI website.

Many thanks to our friends from AOS in Japan who have recently sent us updated information for the ICMA Directory. We now have contact details for over 600 personnel and 350 seafarers’ centres.

The ICMA Directory contains contact details of port chaplains and welfare workers from ICMA member organisations around the world. It also contains information about the seafarers’ centres in which our members work. The ICMA Secretariat relies on people in ports to supply this information.

Click the “ICMA Directory” link on the address to check the information for your port. There are links for you to send updates to the ICMA Administrator.

Remember that the ICMA Directory is an important resource for everyone working in seafarers’ welfare. Please help us to ensure that it is as complete and up to date as possible.

Congratulations to ICMA member Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) celebrating their 90th anniversary this year.

AOS began in 1920 in the port of Glasgow, Scotland, as an initiative to bring together various existing efforts on the part of the Catholic Church to help visiting seafarers. The original constitution gave as the purpose:

“to promote the spiritual, moral and social development of seafarers”.

Left to right: Fr Bruno Ciceri of AOS and member of the ICMA Executive Committee with ICMA General Secretary Rev Hennie la Grange, and Archbishop Veglio

On the occasion of the 90th anniversary, Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio, President of the Pontifical Council which oversees AOS, has issued a message reflecting on the organisation’s history and on its work today. In his message, Archbishop Veglio acknowledges the changes in the maritime world since AOS was founded: for example, how today’s short turnaround times have made ship visiting, by well-trained pastoral workers, vital. Other contemporary challenges include the trauma caused by piracy, pollution and the depletion of fish stocks. In an international profession, and an era of globalisation, the need for cooperation with the maritime sector and good relations with partners, including other churches, is acknowledged.

Maritime Piracy – a Humanitarian Response Programme has kicked off in London.

Two noteworthy meetings were held. The first was significant as it cemented a joint industry-wide humanitarian response to those affected by piracy and armed robbery at sea. The second shed light on the role that ICMA could play in the programme.

The ICMA Secretariat is always on the look-out for tools that may enhance our chaplains’ ministry to seafarers.

In the October 2010 edition of the IHS Fairplay Newsletter, we came across this article which you may find useful.

Sea-Web – October 2010
A new version of Sea-web will be released towards the end of October which will include a number of new features, as well as a state of the art ‘App’ for iPhone and Blackberry users. This new facility will enable subscribers to undertake ship searches by vessel name and IMO number and view the results and key areas of information, including ownership, … Continue reading A handy tool for your ministry to seafarers→

The workshop suggested that we should ask you, ICMA’s members, about your experience. We would like to know what you found most helpful and what was least helpful, when working with seafarers and their families who had been affected by piracy (including hijacking, attack and threat of attack).

A documentary film on Germany’s response to piracy attacks features Reverend Martina Platte of the Deutsche Seemannsmission (German Seamen’s Mission).

Reverend Martina Platte

In the film, Reverend Platte encounters masters and ratings who have experienced piracy. Some had lost but a few dollars, others barely escaped with their lives. The film follows Platte through the port of Hong Kong as she meets seafarers who have come through the Straits of Malacca and the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia. These last two years the latter has become the most dangerous stretch of coastline in the world.

In this German language film you will meet seafarers who have been taken captive by pirates and have lived to tell the tale, including Krysztof Kotiuk the master of the “Hansa Stavanger”, Eberhard Lixfeld from “Reider Shipping”, Thomas Kossendey, the Secretary of State in the office of the German Federal Minister of Defence, marines from the fregate “Augsburg” and an imprisoned pirate.
To watch this 90-minute documentary film “Piraten – Wegelagerer der Weltmeere” online, click here

To read the covering (German) article on the film posted on the website of Radio Bremen TV, click here

ICMA Chairman, Mr. Douglas B. Stevenson of the Center for Seafarers Rights (SCI), has been elected to the panel of judges for the final phase of the ICSW’s Welfare Awards.

Stevenson joins Mr Michael Grey MBE, maritime journalist, Mr Spyros M Polemis, President of the International Shipping Federation, and Mr David Cockcroft, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation on the distinguished panel of judges.

Reverend Hennie la Grange, ICMA General Secretary, is set to participate in the initial judging phase.

Over 1300 seafarers have sent in nominations for the awards. More than 44 seafarer centres, 21 ports, and 62 shipping companies have been nominated for the awards.

The awards will be presented by the IMO Secretary General, Admiral Efthimios Mitropoulos, at an event in London on 1 December 2010.

Vision – The International Christian Maritime Association will become the leading ecumenical and professional association of maritime ministries seeking to strengthen its Members’ maritime ministries for seafarers’ well-being.